The games of tennis, volley ball and other similar games throughout the term of play require player personnel to constantly move about the playing court at a fast run and to assume off balance positions while directing their vision primarily to the location, position and direction of movement of a ball or puck. Such circumstance makes the players extremely vulnerable to tripping, slipping, falling, or collision accidents. Therefore, it is extremely important that the playing court be as free as possible from obstructions, protrusions or other hazards that may cause or increase injury, should the player accidently slip, trip or fall into or collide with an obstruction or protrusion. The net post-- a required item in games involving play in the vicinity of a stretched net-- is well known as a major cause of player injury. Such posts most normally are replete with exposed handles, pulleys, stays, hinges and other devices that increase player injury in accidents in which players collide or fall into net posts, thus increasing the hazards of play. In addition to being a major cause of serious accidents on the playing courts, currently employed net posts possess operational deficiencies in that gears and teeth of employed winding mechanisms strip and break, thus rendering the post imoperative. Bending or breaking of net posts due to applied net stretching tensions is also a common occurrence.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of net posts currently employed in net related games by providing a net post void of protruding handles, winding mechanisms, stays, hinges and other protruding devices that could increase player injury in net post player collision and also by providing a net post of sufficient strength and design configuration that bending or breaking of the net post is effectively avoided. Further, the present invention eliminates gear stripping problems currently experienced by the employment of a minimum number of moving parts.